Each day workers put themselves at risk by working in dangerous or potentially dangerous environments involving explosive vapors or gasses. For example, in addition to the risk of cave-ins, sub-surface miners face the risk of toxic fumes and explosive gases on a daily basis. As another example, firemen and other first responders frequently have to venture into buildings, subways, and sewers filled with toxic and explosive gasses in order rescue victims and save property.
Chief among the dangers facing such workers is the reduced visibility and loss of situation awareness when entering an environment after donning their protective breathing apparatus.
For personnel who work in such environments on a daily basis, a communication system to improve situation awareness is needed so that personnel can safely operate in toxic and explosive environments. Similarly, emergency services personnel who may have to enter toxic and explosive environments to respond to emergency situations need to improve the situation awareness both in terms of communication as well as visual and other telemetry methods.